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Toddlers’ tantrums are exhausting for parents. Unsure of whether to ignore a tantrum, when to step in and calm a child, and dealing with judgemental stares from onlookers, parents with tantrum-prone toddlers often despair at the challenges they face. It is normal for young children to get very upset when they are frustrated, angry and disappointed and it is also very difficult for toddlers to calm down once they get very worked up. Northwestern University’s School of Medicine is developing a new assessment tool for paediatricians and parents called the Multidimensional Assessment of Preschool Disruptive Behavior (MAP-DB). The MAP-DB is intended to help parents find out if their child’s tantrums could be an indicator of other problems. Read full article

In this video from Mornings at Channel 9, Yvette Vignando on the parenting panel with Dannielle Miller and Tracey Spicer talking about research lead by Dr David Hawes from the University of Sydney about the kind of warm and positive parenting that can help children with what is known as "callous and unemotional" (CU) traits. Also discussed: parents who are in a dispute over their child and a father has been ordered to stop weighing his daughter as it affects her self esteem. Read full article

A University of Minnesota study published in Child Development suggests that the origins of behaviour problems in children may include negative parenting styles in early childhood. Headed by Dr Michael Lorber, now at New York University, the study found that ‘negative parenting’ in early infancy – expressing negative emotions, rough handling etc – predicted behaviour problems in children at a later age ... Dr Lorber was asked about any ideas he could share for parents about ‘negative’ versus ‘positive parenting in early childhood ... Read full article

Oliver James is a UK-based clinical child psychologist who has recently written about a technique he calls ‘love bombing’ to help children overcome fears and anxieties that may be causing behavioural problems ... James says that this technique can solve many common behavioural problems in children, giving them a feeling of security so that many of the fears and anxieties causing their behaviour can be allayed. Read full article

Has your child ever lashed out and hurt someone? Has another aggressive child ever bothered him? If your answer is yes, join the crowd! Almost all of us struggle with understanding and helping our children when they hurt others, and when they are hurt by other children. It's a shock to us the first time our sweet sons and daughters suddenly bite someone, or throw something at the new baby in the family. Here are some guiding principles for understanding and relieving children's aggression, so they can relax and enjoy their friends and siblings. Read full article

In Part 2 of this interview Yvette Vignando interviews authors of 'Smart But Scattered' about how parents can work with their children on emotional control, especially once their children are teenagers. Guare and Dawson also discuss strategies for working with your child's school. Read full article

In Part 1 of this interview Yvette Vignando interviews authors of 'Smart But Scattered' about how parents can recognise the need for and help their child develop higher level 'executive' skills such as organisational skills, planning, and time management. Read full article

Dr Sophie Havighurst is a child clinical psychologist and senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne in the Child Psychiatry Department. Sophie is the principal investigator in the Tuning Into Kids Parenting Program. In part 1 of this interview, Sophie talks about parents learning how to teach children about dealing with emotions and feelings and even reduce tantrums. Read full article

Book:Tricky Kids by Andrew Fuller gives parents insights into the behaviours of a difficult child and highlights the strengths and potential of strong-willed kids. Parents and teachers are shown how to manage these kids and help them to change and develop positive life habits. Read full article